by Jess Thomson
Serves 8 | Prep time: 1 1/2 hours
from Edible Seattle January/February 2009
There’s more than one way to eat a bunch of kale. Winter’s stalwart leafy green stars with spicy Italian sausage in Greek-inspired phyllo appetizers. You can freeze assembled triangles on a baking sheet until firm, then freeze up to 2 months in a sealed container. To bake from frozen, increase baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound cleaned, chopped kale (from 2 large bunches, about 1 1/2 pounds total)
6 ounces Swiss-style cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (1-pound) package phyllo sheets, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
Olive oil, as needed, about 2 cups
Heat a large, heavy pot (something big enough to fit all the kale) over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving its grease in the pot, and set aside. Decrease heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and kale, season with salt and pepper, stir to blend, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove lid, and cook and stir until the kale is completely wilted and has given up all its water, another 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
When cool enough to handle, transfer the greens to a food processor, and whirl until pureed. Add the reserved sausage, and pulse 15 times. (If you’d like to make the filling a day ahead, refrigerate this mixture.) Stir in the cheeses until well distributed, season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Fill a small bowl with olive oil, and clear a large workspace.
Working with three sheets of phyllo at a time (keep the other sheets covered in plastic, then with a tea towel, to prevent them from drying out), begin rolling triangles: Place one phyllo sheet on a large, clean working surface that you can cut on, and brush the entire surface with a layer of olive oil. Stack another phyllo sheet on top, so the corners more or less line up, and brush that sheet with oil. Repeat with the third sheet, then flip all three sheets over, so the oily side is down.
Using a large knife or pizza roller, cut the stack of phyllo into six equal strips the short way. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling at the bottom of each strip. Working with one strip at a time, fold one bottom corner of the strip over the filling until it meets the opposite edge, forming a triangle. Continue rolling the triangle up the length of the strip, winding the phyllo around the filling over and over again to seal it in, like you’re folding a flag. When you reach the end, smooth the ends around the triangle, and place on a baking sheet, loose end down. Repeat with remaining strips, then repeat layering and folding processes with remaining phyllo and filling.
Bake triangles for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cooked triangles can be reheated for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.